Wilderness News Online

Forest Service Taking Comments on South Fowl Trail

The Forest Service is accepting public comments on the development of a new snowmobile trail from McFarland Lake to South Fowl Lake in far northeastern Minnesota. The new trail was necessitated by the closure of the Tilbury Trail which crossed land included in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

VNP Eagle Nesting Areas Reopened for Visitor Use

As Voyageurs National Park reopens eagle nesting sites closed to visitor use, the park reports a general increase in successful breeding and the overall health of the VNP eagle population.

DNR Extends Comment Period for Forest Resources Management Plan

The Minnesota DNR has allowed for an additional thirty days of public comment on a resources management plan intended to promote forest health in four northern Minnesota ecological subsections.

Minnesota’s Regional Haze Plan Open to Public Comment

A regional haze plan developed by the Minnesota Pollution Control agency seeks to address visibility impairment and haze in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park. The plan is open for public comment until September 3.

Moose Advisory Committee Releases Report

A Moose Advisory Committee charged with making recommendations for the management of Minnesota's moose population released its report yesterday in Duluth.

Public’s Help Sought to Track Minnesota Moose Population

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have created a web site where the public can report moose sightings in northeastern Minnesota.

Namakan River Dam Report Delayed

Environmental Assessment report for the Namakan River Dam Project proposed by Ojibway Power & Energy Group has been delayed.

Voyageurs Plans Burn for Thursday

Voyageurs National Park officials plan to burn an area on Tar Point near Blind Indian Narrows in Namakan Lake Thursday. The burn is intended to help determine what effect fire has on archeological artifacts and help determine the effects of fire on vegetation.

Road Ban in National Forests Upheld

A federal appeals court recently reversed a Bush administration ruling allowing commercial activity in more than 50 million acres of pristine national forests.

No Impacts Yet from Spiny Water Flea

Invasive spiny water fleas have been present in northern Minnesota waters since 2006, but scientists have yet to see negative impacts from the plankton of European origin.